Rays Have Two Players Named Hank Aaron Award Finalists
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The Tampa Bay Rays have received a lot of spectacular performances from players up and down the roster this season.
Two of them, third baseman Junior Caminero and designated hitter Yandy Diaz, are having their performances acknowledged. The duo has been named among the finalists for the Hank Aaron Award, given to the most outstanding regular-season offensive performer in each league.
The American League and National League each have 10 finalists listed. Joining the Rays tandem in the AL is Pete Alonso of the Baltimore Orioles, Yordan Alvarez of the Houston Astros, Randy Arozarena of the Seattle Mariners, Willson Contreras of the Boston Red Sox, Riley Greene of the Detroit Tigers, Ben Rice of the New York Yankees, Miguel Vargas of the Chicago White Sox and Bobby Witt Jr. of the Kansas City Royals.
In the NL, CJ Abrams of the Washington Nationals, Jake Bauers of the Milwaukee Brewers, Pete Crow-Armstrong of the New York Mets, Elly De La Cruz of the Cincinnati Reds, Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Dodgers, Matt Olson of the Atlanta Braves, Kyle Schwarber of the Philadelphia Phillies, Sal Stewart of the Reds, Fernando Tatis Jr. of the San Diego Padres and Jordan Walker of the St. Louis Cardinals were selected as finalists.
Junior Caminero, Yandy Diaz deserving Hank Aaron Award finalists
There are a lot of talented hitters on both of those lists. In the AL, both Caminero and Diaz have strong cases to take home the award with how they performed at the plate.
Their talented third baseman took his production to another level in his second full year in the MLB, looking like an AL MVP Candidate. He played in all 162 games with a .276/.360/.524 slash line with an OPS+ of 144. A lot of people questioned if he could produce at the same level he did during a breakout 2025 campaign, and he actually improved.
Caminero showcased improved plate discipline, drawing 79 walks after having only 41 last season. He didn’t help opposing pitchers by chasing out of the zone, making them come to him. And when they made a mistake, he punished the ball, launching 42 home runs and knocking in 101 runs.
#Rays Caminero and Diaz among 10 AL finalists for Hank Aaron Award, which goes to “the most outstanding regular season offensive performer in each league.” pic.twitter.com/VDXAmoEIPE
— Marc Topkin (@TBTimes_Rays) October 5, 2026
Diaz played in 154 games and led the AL with 180 hits. He was a stalwart at the top of the Tampa Bay lineup, producing a .293/.359/.446 slash line with an OPS+ of 124.
An All-Star for the second time in his career, Diaz isn’t showing many signs of slowing down in his age-34 campaign. There was a slight dip in power production with three fewer doubles and three fewer home runs compared to 2025, but he remains an elite table setter ahead of Jonathan Aranda and Caminero.
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Kenneth Teape is an alumnus of SUNY Old Westbury and graduated in 2013 with an Honors Degree in Media Communications with a focus on print journalism. During his time at Old Westbury, he worked for the school newspaper and several online publications, such as Knicks Now, the official website of the New York Knicks, and a self-made website with fellow students, Gotham City Sports News. Kenneth has also been a site expert at Empire Writes Back, Musket Fire, and Lake Show Life within the FanSided Network. He was a contributor to HoopsHabit, with work featured on Bleacher Report and Yardbarker. Previously, he is a reporter for both NBA Analysis Network and NFL Analysis Network, as well as a writer and editor for Packers Coverage. You can follow him on X, formerly Twitter, @teapester725, or reach him via email at teapester725@gmail.com.